"I tried talking to the kettle earlier and it wouldn't hiss back. Do you how disorienting that is? I kept thinking I was boiling imaginary water"
Yuzuriha tipped her head as tried to figure out what she meant by that, while also listening to the clinking of ceramic on metal. This was followed by the faint splash of liquid being poured into them. She heard it three times in measured intervals.
One…two…three, and done.
Her nose twitched at the scent rising from the cup. It was earthly, rich and sweet, like something she hadn't caught whiff in a long time. It was…it was…
'Tea!'
There was no mistake about it, this was the aroma of tea leaves. Not the cheap ones either. These were fragrant and hand selected. And sugar. As if that wasn't enough, she went on to add milk! This mad woman!
'Hold yourself together Yuzu, I know it's been a while since you've had one but still, hold yourself together!'
Her lips parted just a little, the anticipation too real to disguise. Heck, she would have been drooling if she didn't keep herself in check.
"Grace, I appreciate the thought but I really don't have the time to drink tea. I have to go to work, right now"
"Oh, hush now. Stop fretting, Marci. There's always enough time for tea"
Grace scolded the older sister as she continued to stir. Marcille tried to shoot back but was immediately cut off.
"Anyway, the point is, it's all very exciting, but he still needs to calibrate the potion better. We are going to mix in a binding reagent, so it doesn't keep dampening all the things we want to hear. Oh, and don't even think about the cat. I thought she ran away but she was just lying on a sprayed blanket. Silent as a grave. Poor thing couldn't even meow, meow"
She made cute sounds as she tried to imitate the sounds of a cat. But none of what Grace said registered in Yuzuriha's mind, all she was thinking about was that sweet liquid waiting to slide down her throat.
The anticipation was just too much to bear. Marcille sighed as she lowered herself to take a seat, clearly, she wasn't the type to argue with people.
"A cat now? You really need to stop testing things inside your own home. The apartment too"
"Marci, you don't understand this yet but, that's when the results are most authentic!"
Grace's voice began to take on a brighter tone.
"You can't simulate a lived-in environment in a sterile lab. That's where all the good data gets lost. A real mess, real variable, real chaos—Oh, speaking of chaos, I think I lost the little vial somewhere near the bathroom, so avoid going in there for a while"
They both took note of that, especially Yuzuriha since she was very unfamiliar with this woman, at present. There was no doubt that she was someone Yor knew, but why wasn't anything about her popping up in her memories?
'There's no way she'd forget someone with her…personality, I sure know I wouldn't. But forget all of that because right now. It's finally time!'
Yep, the tea was ready, she could smell its pleasant aroma making its way in her direction.
"Here, sweetheart"
Grace guided Yuzuriha's small hand slowly to the handle of the cup.
"Hold it just like this, and don't worry, I cooled it a bit. Not too much. Just enough for a comfortable sip"
"Uh, thank you very much"
Yuzuriha offered her gratitude as she took it with both hands. The surface of the cup was warm, not hot and the weight of it told her that there wasn't much tea inside. Maybe it was half a cup full.
'A bit disappointing but you take what you can get in life!'
Carefully, she brought it closer to her lips then took a sip.
'So good!'
The first sip was divine!
The milk danced with the tea leaves in a perfect balance of flavor. It was rich but not heavy, sweet but not cloying. It was simply perfect!
Yuzuriha resisted the urge to scream. Her eyes fluttered shut to try and contain herself.
In her old life, she had consumed nothing but bitter black coffee, energy drinks, alcohol, canned stimulants and sometimes pure water. There was never time to sit and enjoy something that was just…pleasant.
The last drink she had was red wine, and that turned out to be her final.
But now, Grace had just placed a warm cup into her hands.
'You would think after such a terrible experience I'd be a bit skeptical about what goes in my mouth, but I don't feel that way at all. How reckless…'
Acknowledging her recklessness, her lips curved slowly into a genuine smile. It felt strange at first but the warmth that bloomed across her cheeks was otherworldly. She just couldn't help it.
"Aha. Now there's a darling expression!"
Grace leaned in closer, the older woman's breath tickled her ear.
"That smile is going to make me cry. You are utterly precious, it quite overwhelms me"
"Hey, stay away!"
Yuzuriha instinctively pulled back from Grace's lowered tone. It wasn't because she was trying to be rude or anything, but there was something about that moment that made her want to pull back, but she just couldn't explain why.
'Oh, no'
And now, she just caused a fuss.
The room had suddenly gone quite so she assumed they were both staring at her with confused expressions. Knowing that made her blush and lowered her head to her almost finished cup of tea.
'This…is embarrassing. Why did I react like that?'
Dang it, there wasn't enough time to figure that out. Fiddling her fingers around the cup, Yuzuriha recovered with the first response that came to mind.
"The tea…it's not bad. It's delicious, I just didn't want to share it. Thank you, Aunty Grace"
That was honestly a genuine thank you, and no, she didn't say it just because she was on the spot right now. It took a moment, but that awkward tension was dispersed the next.
"That might be the highest praise I've heard from you. I can't—I just…I feel so happy right now!"
Grace said that with a teary voice which confused Yuzuriha. She must have been crying, and judging by Marcille's silence, she assumed this must have been a common occurrence…or she was just as shocked as Grace.
Oh my God!
'What's wrong with these people? First Leo, now Grace? What kind of a person was Yor anyway?!'